Lug template

ABSTRACT

A lug template in which a plurality of lugs are rotatably mounted to a flexible template wherein each lug may be individually and substantially deflected out of the normal plane of the template without substantially deflecting the remaining lugs and further in which the template may be limitedly deformed in its normal plane to slightly increase the effective distance between given lugs.

United States Patent Jenkins July 25,1972

1 1 LUG TEMPLATE [72] Inventor: Robert C. Jenkins, 133 Antonia Drive,

Jackson, NJ. 08527 [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 99,222

Related US. Application Data [63] Substitute for Ser. No 725,697, May 1, 1968.

[52] 1.1.5. Cl ..301/9 DN,85/32, 151/69, 206/65 R 51 Int. Cl ..B60b 3/16 [58] FieldofSearch ..301/9 N, 108 8,37 5; 151/69; 206/65 R 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,062,635 5/1913 Clements ..151/69 X 1,491,394 4/1924 Griffith 151/69 X 1,719,301 7/1929 Metcalf... ..151/69 1,843,985 2/1932 Nelson ..301/9 DN 3,092,421 6/1963 Lyon ..301/37 S 3,135,558 6/1964 Johnston. 301/37 P 3,549,204 2/1970 Spisak ..301/37 3,597,003 8/1971 Kraus... ..301/108 S 2,741,411 4/1956 Olden ..206/65 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 212,251 11/1924 Great Britain ..301/108 S Primary Examiner-Richard J. Johnson An0rne \'Popper, Bain, Bobis & Gilfillan [57] ABSTRACT A lug template in which a plurality of lugs are rotatably mounted to a flexible template wherein each lug may be individually and substantially deflected out of the normal plane of the template without substantially deflecting the remaining lugs and further in which the template may be limitedly deformed in its normal plane to slightly increase the effective distance between given lugs.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJms m2 INVESTOR ROBERT C JENKINS LUG TEMPLATE This is a substitute for US. Pat. application Ser. No. 725,697 filed May 1, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the automotive arts, wheel lugs are frequently misplaced or lost when wheels are changed. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide means which would retain lugs belonging to a particular wheel against separation from each other when disengaged from the wheel.

Moreover, it is advantageous to maintain all lugs belonging to a particular wheel in general registration with the mating threaded members when reinstalling the lugs. This provides not only rapid successive threadable engagement of the lugs with their mating members but also insures against having to reach long distances for scattered lugs while holding a wheel in place during remounting on the wheel drum.

The aforesaid objects may be achieved by employing a template in which the lugs are rotatably mounted with a relatively fixed angular relationship to each other corresponding to the angular relationship between their mating members with which they must be brought into registration. The simplest way of rotatably mounting lugs in a template is to provide a circular opening in the template having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the lug. The lug is provided with a radially annular groove adapted to receive the template as the lug is forced through the hole therein.

However, since the template must retain the lugs in a relatively fixed radially angular relationship to each other, the template comprises a unitary base having a plurality of openings adapted to receive the rotatably mount lugs generally spaced about a center. Nevertheless, if lugs are to be engaged or disengaged from their cooperative fasteners singularly in sequence, the portion of the template surrounding each lug must be deflectable out of the normal plane of the template without unduly deflecting the template adjacent to the remaining lugs. ln automobile wheels, the lugs are equally spaced about a circle. If the template were a circular sheet of material having the lugs rotatably mounted in holes equally spaced in near proximity to the parameter thereof, deflection of one lug out of the plane of the template would immediately cause deflection of lugs adjacent thereto. Sympathetic deflection of adjacent lugs is caused by an increase in the effective distance between lugs as one is deflected out of the plane of the template. If the periphery of the template were a continuous circle lying outside of the lugs, no such increase of the effective distance between lugs would be possible since it would constitute stretching the periphery of a solid body.

In order to obviate this difficulty, the template described and claimed herein, is defined by a generally circular inner base having a plurality of integral, separated, radial ears. The holes seating the lugs are positioned in each of the ears. The

lugs may then be deflected out of the normal plane of the template by the deflection of individual ears which does not cause substantial deflection of adjacent ears carrying adjacent lugs.

Another difficulty attending full engagement or disengagement of each lug in sequence is an increase in the effective distance between generally opposing lugs when one lug is deflected out of the normal plane of the template. This difficulty is obviated by providing an opening in the template intermediate the circular base to provide limited deformation of the template in its own plane to increase at least slightly the effective distance between opposing lugs.

It has been found that if the lugs are not individually substantially deflectable out of the normal plane of the template without deflecting substantially adjacent lugs and if the effective distance between generally opposing lugs in the plane of the template cannot be slightly increased, full engagement or disengagement of one lug while the remaining lugs are oppositely engaged, will cause binding of the lug in the template and galling and damage of the template as a result.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of the invention described and claimed herein to provide a lug template in which a plurality of lugs are rotatably mounted in a template readily flexible out of the normal plane of the template and limitedly deformable in the plane of the template to permit substantial deflection of individual lugs out of plane of the template without substantial deflection of adjacent lugs.

Another object of the invention described and claimed herein is to provide a lug template as aforesaid in which the template is sufficiently deformable in its normal plane to permit at least slight increases in the effective distancebetween opposing lugs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the lug template of the character aforesaid in which individual lugs may be completely engaged or disengaged while the remaining lugs are oppositely engaged without galling the template or otherwise interfering with the engagement or disengagement operation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A lug template comprising a relatively thin, normally generally flat annular member, a plurality of relatively thin, generally flat radial extensions formed on the periphery of the annular member, lugs rotatably mounted in the extensions and secured thereto against accidental disengagement therefrom, the annular member being flexible and distortable, and at least a portion of the radial extensions being deflectable out of the normal plane of the annular member without substantial such deflection of adjacent radial members.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the invention described and claimed herein, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

..FIG. 1- is a top plan view of a lug template with the lugs disengaged therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the template taken along line 2-2 in FIG. I with the lugs rotatably mounted in the openings therein;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a lug nut adapted to be rotatably mounted in the lug template illustrated inFIGS. l and 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the lug template comprises a generally flat base 11 having an annular inner body 12 and a plurality of integral, radial ears 13. For illustrative purposes only, five ears are shown in the drawings, equally spaced about the annular body 12. Nevertheless, any number of cars may be employed at any angular relationship to each other either at equal or unequal distances from the center of body member 12.

Each of the ears 13 is provided with a circular opening or hole 14. While in the drawings, the openings 14 are shown as equally spaced from the center of the bodymember 12, their precise location is a matter of choice in order to maintain registration of the openings 14 with the complementary members of the wheel and wheel drum with which the template is to be employed.

A lug 15 is rotatably mounted in each of the openings 14. In the drawings, the lug 15 is illustrated as a nut. However, the lug could be a bolt or any other fastener adapted for engagement with a complementary fastener. The use of the term lug" in the claims herein includes all such fasteners.

In order to rotatably mount the lug 15 in the opening 14, each of the lugs 15 is provided with an annular groove 16. The minor diameter of the annular groove 16 is slightly less than the diameter of the opening 14. In the case of a lug nut, the annular groove 16 is most conveniently placed intermediate the hexagonal head 17 and the usual truncated conical shank 18.

The ears 13 of the template II are relatively thin and flexible out of the normal plane of the template. The lug nut 15 is normal resilience of the ear peripheral to the hole 14 causes the edges thereof to snap into the groove 16 rotatably locking the lug nuts 15 therein.

While one manner of rotatably mounting the lug nut 15 in the opening 14 has been illustrated, many equivalent constructions may be employed which are considered as being within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In order to engage or disengage one of the lugs 15 while the remaining lugs are oppositely engaged, the ear 13 in which the lugs being engaged or disengaged is mounted must be readily deflectable out of the normal plane of the remainder of the template 11. It has been found that a variety of plastic materi als are particularly well suited for fabrication of the template. For instance, teflon, nylon, polyethylene or a number of other plastics may be employed. Such plastics should have a relatively flexible consistency with a relatively hard and preferably slippery surface. While teflon provides many of these characteristics, it is excessively costly. High density nylon is less costly and polyethylene is still less costly but frequently exhibits somewhat softer surface characteristics.

When the template 11 is employed to mount lug nuts of an automobile wheel, the wheel may be mounted or demounted in the following manner. If the wheel is mounted to the wheel drum, a power impact wrench or a mechanical lug wrench may be applied to each of the lugs 15 fully disengaging each said lug in succession. As the first lug l disengages, the ear 13 in which it is rotatably mounted, bends upwardly as the lug moves axially outwardly from the wheel and wheel drum. Since the ears 13 are not secured together along their radially peripheral edge, each ear 13 may deflect upwardly independently of the other ears, particularly immediately adjacent ears.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the ears 13 are relatively widely separated from each other by a bridging segment of the annular base 12. Flection, both deflection upwardly and slight rotation of the segment of the base 12 between ears assists in permitting free deflection on one ear 13 independent of adjacent ears. Nevertheless, the cars 13 may be separated merely by a radial slit in the template 11.

As each car 13 deflects upwardly during removal of the lug 15, the effective distance between the lug 15 being removed and generally opposing lugs 15 slightly increases. In order to accommodate for this effective change in distance between lugs 15, the base 12 has been provided with a central opening 19. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the base 12 is actually an annular member defining a circular opening 19. The opening 19 permits limited deformation of the template 11 in its own plane to permit at least a slight increase in the effective distance between generally opposed lugs 15.

Since each ear may deflect out of the plane of the template 11, independently of adjacent ears l3 and since the effective distance between lugs may be at least slightly increased by limited deformation of the template 11 in opposition to itself, the lugs 15 will not bind or gal] and damage the template 11 during engagement or disengagement singularly in sequence. Nevertheless, the basic radially angular relationship between lugs is substantially maintained so that the lugs are automatically each brought into registration with their complementary fasteners by means of the template ll.

Engagement of the lugs 15 is performed in an analogous fashion. Each ear l3 deflects downwardly out of the normal plane of the template 11 as its lug 15 is engaged to its complementary fastener. There is sufficient flexibility in the template I] to catch the threads of each lug 15 in sequence rather than starting each lug by hand and thereafter applying a power, impact wrench. This represents a considerable saving in time and effort.

Although each of the ears 13 is readily deflectable out of the plane of the template 11 without substantially deflecting adjacent ears, there is nevertheless a reasonably substantial and effective force directed at the lug in opposition to deflection out of the plane of the remaining lugs. While this force is insufficient to cause binding of lugs during engagement or disengagement or otherwise substantially impeding rotation of the lugs in the openings 14, it is sufficient to discourage accidental disengagement of lugs due to vibration. Thus, the template ll tends to function as a locking device to secure the lugs 15 against unintended vibrational rotation and loosening and certainly against complete disengagement which could prove disastrous when a vehicle is in motion.

What is claimed is:

l. A lug template comprising,

a. a relatively thin, normally generally flat annular member,

b. a plurality of relatively thin, generally flat radial extensions formed on the periphery of the annular member,

c. lugs rotatably mounted in the extensions and secured thereto against accidental disengagement therefrom,

d. the annular member being flexible and distortable; and

e. at least a portion of the radial extensions being deflectable out of the normal plane of the annular member without substantial such deflection of adjacent radial members.

2. A lug template comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

b. the annular member and the radial extensions are sufficiently distortable to permit at least a slight increase in distance between the centers of rotation of the lugs.

3. A lug template comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

b. the radial extensions are symmetrically disposed about the periphery of the annular member.

4. A lug template comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which,

b. the radial extensions are symmetrically disposed about the periphery of the annular member.

5. A lug template comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 in which,

b. each radial extension is provided with a circular opening extending therethrough the lugs being rotatably mounted in the openings, and

c. the lugs having a radial peripheral groove in which the periphery of the openings in the radial extensions seat. 

1. A lug template comprising, a. a relatively thin, normally generally flat annular member, b. a plurality of relatively thin, generally flat radial extensions formed on the periphery of the annular member, c. lugs rotatably mounted in the extensions and secured thereto against accidental disengagement therefrom, d. the annular member being flexible and distortable; and e. at least a portion of the radial extensions being deflectable out of the normal plane of the annular member without substantial such deflection of adjacent radial members.
 2. A lug template comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which, b. the annular member and the radial extensions are sufficiently distortable to permit at least a slight increase in distance between the centers of rotation of the lugs.
 3. A lug template comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which, b. the radial extensions are symmetrically disposed about the periphery of the annular member.
 4. A lug template comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which, b. the radial extensions are symmetrically disposed about the periphery of the annular member.
 5. A lug template comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 in which, b. each radial extension is provided with a circular opening extending therethrough the lugs being rotatably mounted in the openings, and c. the lugs having a radial peripheral groove in which the periphery of the openings in the radial extensions seat. 